Method of manufacturing inorganic insulation

ABSTRACT

A solution of a ceramics precursor prepared from at last one or two types of metal alkoxides or metal acylates is applied onto a ceramics film having irregularity on its surface, which is formed on a conductor surface, to fill up irregular portions of the surface. This ceramics precursor solution is at least partially changed to a ceramics state by heating. The surface is smoothed by such application of the ceramics precursor solution, and general disadvantages of weakness against rubbing and inferiority in workability can be improved. Further, it is possible to improve an outgassing property.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an inorganic insulation such as a heat resistant wire/coil etc., a radiation resistant wire or coil which is related to nuclear power, or a wire or coil for a vacuum apparatus, or the like.

BACKGROUND ART

As a conventional heat resistant wire etc., there is an MI cable, a fiber-glass braided wire, or a wire passing a ceramics tube. However, such a wire is bulky and disadvantageous in view of space. Further, the wire has such a disadvantage that its configuration is apt to be restricted to a round wire.

While a heat resistant organic wire whose surface is coated with an organic material is also known, such a wire cannot withstand a temperature exceeding 300° C., and has a problem in heat resistance. Further, discharge of cracked gas, as well as discharge of adsorbed gas come into question.

As to a heat resistant wire, known are a method of applying a ceramics precursor which is prepared by a sol-gel method to a surface, and a Nippon Sheet Glass method [Liquid Phase Deposition (LPD) method]. However, these methods have such problems that it takes time for increasing film thicknesses.

Known is a method of applying a material which is obtained by mixing ceramics particles into silicone resin onto the surface of a wire or the like and thereafter heating/firing the same. According to this method, however, there is such a problem that the surface of the wire or the like is irregularized and roughened, and weakened against rubbing. It also has a problem in view of flexibility.

Also when films are formed by a spraying method and a sintering method, surfaces are irregularized or made porous. Thus, similar problems are caused.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an inorganic insulation which is easy to industrialize, improved in workability, as well as improved in insulability and reliability of non-outgassing property.

The manufacturing method according to the present invention comprises a step of forming a ceramics film having irregularity on its surface on a conductor surface, a step of applying a solution of a ceramics precursor prepared from at least one or two types of metal alkoxides or metal acylates onto the ceramics film for filling up irregular portions on the surface of the ceramics film, and a step of at least partially changing the solution of the ceramics precursor to a ceramics state by heating.

In the present invention, the ceramics film having irregularity on its surface indicates such a state that Ra of the surface of the ceramics film is at least 1 μm.

In the present invention, further, a porous ceramics film is included in the ceramics film having irregularity on its surface.

In a first embodiment according to the present invention, it is possible to form a ceramics film by a spraying method, a particle sintering method or an electric deposition method.

In the present invention, the conductor in a state after formation of ceramics may be worked into a desired configuration before application of the ceramics precursor solution.

In a second embodiment according to the present invention, the ceramics film is formed by applying a mixture of silicone resin and ceramics particles and/or ceramics fiber onto the surface of the conductor, performing first heat treatment within such a temperature range that the silicone resin is not changed to a ceramics state for forming a film, and further performing second heat treatment for changing the same to a ceramics state.

When it is desirable to work the conductor into a desired configuration in this embodiment, the conductor is preferably worked into a desired configuration after the first heat treatment and before the second heat treatment.

In this embodiment, a condition for the second heat treatment is preferably a condition of changing at least 90% to a ceramics state.

As to the ceramics precursor, there is a precursor which is prepared from an alkoxide or an acylate of Si, Al, Zr, Ti, or Mg, for example.

The conductor employed in the present invention is preferably prepared from Cu which is coated with a metal having heat resistance and oxidation resistance, for example. As to metals having heat resistance and oxidation resistance, there are Ni, Pt, and stainless steel, for example.

According to the present invention, the conductor can be prepared from an anodizable metal or Cu which is coated with such a metal. It is possible to improve adhesion with the ceramics film which is formed on the conductor surface, by anodizing the surface of the conductor.

The electric deposition method, which is illustrated as a method of forming the ceramics film, is a method of dipping Al in an aqueous solution containing silicate in the case of Al₂ O₃ or SiO₂, for example, using this as a cathode for feeding a current, and causing spark discharge, thereby depositing an Al₂ O₃ film or an SiO₂ film.

According to the present invention, the solution of a ceramics precursor is applied onto the ceramics film having irregularity on its surface, for filling up irregular portions of the surface. Due to such application, it is possible to smooth the surface of the conductor, and to improve the general disadvantages of weakness against rubbing and inferiority in workability. Further, it is possible to improve the outgassing property.

It is possible to partially change the ceramics precursor to a ceramics state and to bring the same into a gel state having flexibility for forming a part of the film, thereby implementing a film having flexibility as a whole, by selecting the condition for the heat treatment after application of the ceramics precursor.

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the mixture of silicone resin and ceramics particles and/or ceramics fiber etc. is applied and thereafter the ceramics film is formed by heat treatment, whereby it is possible to easily form a thick ceramics film.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a state before a solution of a ceramics precursor is applied in example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a state after the solution of the ceramics precursor is applied and fired also in Example of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a state before a solution of a ceramics precursor is applied in another Example of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a state after the solution of the ceramics precursor is applied and fired also in another example of the present invention.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

First, examples according to the first embodiment of the present invention are described.

EXAMPLE 1

Al₂ O₃ was coated on the surface of a copper plate (6 mm in thickness, 200 mm in width) by a plasma spraying method in a thickness of about 0.5 mm, excepting a terminal part. At this time, the film surface had irregularity with Ra of several μm, and the film itself was porous. This state is shown in FIG. 1 with a sectional view. Referring to FIG. 1, a ceramics film 2 is formed on the surface of a conductor 1. In this example, the conductor 1 is a copper plate, and the ceramics film is an Al₂ O₃ coating layer.

Then, a ceramics precursor prepared by adding ethyl alcohol and small amounts of water and nitric acid to tetraethoxysilane was impregnated into porous portions of

the ceramics film of the copper plate coated with Al₂ O₃ as described above, and applied to fill up the irregularity on the surface of the ceramics film. After the application, heat treatment was performed at 600° C. As the result, obtained was an insulation whose surface was smooth with no holes. Ra of the surface was 0.2 μm. This inorganic insulation is shown in FIG. 2 with a sectional view. Referring to FIG. 2, an insulating layer 3 is formed around a conductor 1. The insulating layer 3 is an insulating layer which is formed by coating an Al₂ O₃ coating layer with SiO₂.

The as-obtained inorganic insulation was used as a bus bar, whereby the same was recognized to be preferable as a bus bar in a high-temperature atmosphere and for a heavy current with excellent insulation characteristics even if the temperature was in excess of 300° C., although a conventional PVC-coated one was not employable unless the temperature was less than 100° C.

EXAMPLE 2

A nickel-plated copper wire of 1.0 mm in wire diameter was electropolished in a dilute sulfuric acid bath of 60 wt. % with a current density of 50 A/cm² for about 30 seconds, using a base material as an anode. Thereafter the same was dipped in colloid which was prepared by mixing 5 g of aluminum nitrate as well as alumina powder of 0.3 μm in mean particle diameter to 100 ml of ethyl alcohol, 100 ml of water, 4 ml of isopropyl alcohol and 3 ml of methyl ethyl ketone, and 50 V was applied to a base material which is an anode, to perform electrodeposition of the alumina powder.

As the result, an extremely irregular aluminum powder coating was formed on the surface. FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of this coating. Referring to FIG. 3, an Ni-plated layer 5 is formed around a Cu wire 4, and a conductor is formed by the Cu wire 4 and the Ni-plated layer 5. An electrodeposition layer 6 is formed on the surface of the Ni-plated layer 5. Ra of the surface of this electrodeposition layer 6 was 2 to 3 μm.

Then, this alumina powder coating was dipped in a solution, which was prepared by reacting a mixed solution of 5 mole percent of tributoxy aluminum, 10 mole percent of triethanol amine, 5 mole percent of water and 80 mole percent of isopropyl alcohol at a temperature of 50° C. for 1 hour, and thereafter fired. The firing was carried out in the atmospheric air at a temperature of 500° C.

Thus, a smooth (Ra=0.1 μm) alumina powder alumina impregnated insulating layer of 20 μm in film thickness was formed on the surface.

This state is shown in FIG. 4 with a sectional view. Referring to FIG. 4, an insulating layer 7 is a layer which is formed after applying a ceramics precursor onto the electrodeposition layer 6 and firing the same.

EXAMPLE 3

Al₂ O₃ was sprayed to SUS clad copper, and a solution of a ceramics precursor was prepared by adding nitric acid to a solution, which was prepared by mixing tetrabutylorthosilicate:water:isobutyl alcohol=8:32:60 (molar ratio), at a rate of 3/100 mol. with respect to tetrabutylorthosilicate and thereafter heating the same at a temperature of 80° C. for 2 hours, and this solution of the ceramics precursor was applied thereto and thereafter fired. The as-obtained substance was used as a bus bar, and a heat resistant wire, whereby excellent results were obtained.

EXAMPLE 4

Ti clad copper was anode-rayed and brought into a porous state, and a solution of a ceramics precursor which was similar to that of Example 3 was applied thereto, and this was fired and thereafter used as a bus bar and a heat resistant wire, whereby excellent results were obtained.

EXAMPLE 5

A porous SiO₂ film was formed on an Al/Ni/Cu clad wire by an electric deposition method, and a solution of a ceramics precursor which was similar to that of Example 3 was applied thereto and fired. The as-obtained wire was used as a bus bar and a heat resistant wire, whereby excellent results were obtained.

EXAMPLE 6

A;₂ O₃ was sprayed to a thermocouple, and a solution of a ceramics precursor which was similar to that of Example 3 was applied thereto, and this was fired and used as a thermocouple, whereby an excellent result was obtained.

EXAMPLE 7

A conductor which was used as a base material for applying the solution of the ceramics precursor in Example 3 to Example 6 was used, while a solution which was obtained by mixing tributoxy aluminum:triethanol amine:water:isopropyl alcohol=5:10:5:80 in molar ratio was heated/stirred at a temperature of 50° C. for 1 hour to prepare a solution of a ceramics precursor, and this was applied to the conductor, fired and used as a bus bar, a heat resistant wire or a thermocouple, whereby an excellent result was obtained.

Examples according to the second embodiment of the present invention are now described.

EXAMPLE 8

A solution was prepared by homogeneously mixing fine grains of Al₂ O₃ of 1 μm in particle diameter of a 30% toluene solution of silicone resin by 30 parts by weight with respect to silicone resin. This solution was continuously applied to an Ni clad Cu wire of 0.5 mm in outer diameter. Then this was heated in a continuous baking furnace whose furnace temperature was 500° C., to change the film of silicone resin to a ceramics state. The thickness of the ceramics layer of this wire was about 15 μm, and its breakdown voltage was 350 V.

In this state, the ceramics coating layer was apt to be eliminated in a powder form or a granular form with respect to bending, attended with difficulty in handling.

A solution which was prepared by adding an isopropyl alcohol solution of tetraethoxysilane, water and a small amount of nitric acid was further continuously applied onto this wire, and heated in a heating furnace whose temperature was 600° C., to produce a wire having an insulating layer whose apparent thickness was 18 μm in total. The surface of this wire was smooth. Further, this wire hardly caused peeling and elimination of ceramics with respect to bending. In addition, its breakdown voltage (B.D.V.) was 700 V.

EXAMPLE 9

SiO₂ powder of 0.7 μm in particle diameter was homogeneously mixed to a paraxylene 50% solution of silicone resin by 20 parts by weight with respect to silicone resin, and this was applied to an Ni-plated Cu wire of 1 mm in diameter, heated at 150° C. for 30 minutes to be worked into a coil, and further heated at 400° C. for 30 minutes.

A ceramics precursor solution was prepared by heating and stirring a solution, which was obtained by mixing tributoxy aluminum:triethanol amine:water:isopropyl alcohol=5:10:5:80 in molar ratio, at a temperature of 50° C. for 1 hour, and this ceramics precursor solution was applied onto the surface of the aforementioned coil, and heated at 400° C. for 30 minutes.

The coil, which was thus coated with the ceramics precursor solution and baked, and a coil, which was in a state before application of the ceramics precursor solution, were subjected to an experiment of generating a magnetic field in a vacuum in the following manner:

The coils were set in a vacuum vessel of 9.4 l, and the vessel was evacuated to feed a direct current of 20 A to the coils upon reaching 10⁻⁸ Torr and baking was performed for 2 hours. About 1 hour was required to reach 10⁻⁹ Torr in the case of the coil which was in the state before application of the ceramics precursor solution, while it took about 5 minutes in the case of the coil which was prepared by applying the precursor solution. From this, it is understood that the surface of the coil which was coated with the precursor solution and sintered is extremely smooth, and excellent in vacuum characteristic.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As hereinabove described, the inorganic insulation obtained according to the present invention is excellent in heat resistance, insulability, oxidation resistance and flexibility. Therefore, it is effective when applied to a radiation resistant wire or coil which is related to nuclear power, or a wire or coil for a vacuum apparatus etc. 

We claim:
 1. A method for manufacturing on an electrical conductor an inorganic insulation with a smooth surface finish measured as a finish surface roughness Ra2, comprising the following steps:(a) forming a ceramic coating film on said electrical conductor, mixing silicone resin with ceramic particles and/or ceramic fibers to form a mixture, applying said mixture to said electrical conductor to form a coating film, first heating said coating film at a first temperature sufficiently low so that said silicone resin is not changed into a ceramic state and then second heating said coating film at a second higher temperature to convert said silicone resin into said ceramic coating film with said ceramic particles and/or fibers embedded in said ceramic coating film, whereby said ceramic coating film has a film surface with an initial surface roughness Ra1, (b) preparing a solution of a ceramic precursor selected from the group consisting of metal alkoxides and metal acylates, (c) applying said ceramic precursor solution to said film surface of said ceramic coating film, and (d) heating said ceramic precursor solution sufficiently to convert said ceramic precursor solution at least partially to a ceramic state, whereby said initial surface roughness Ra1 is reduced and a smooth, dense composite insulator layer is formed on said electrical conductor, wherein said finish surface roughness Ra2 is smaller than said initial surface roughness Ra1.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said ceramic coating film is formed so that said initial surface roughness Ra1 forms pores in said ceramic coating film, and wherein said ceramic precursor solution is caused to fill said pores to smooth said initial surface roughness Ra1.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising working said electrical conductor into a configuration following said step of forming said ceramic coating film and prior to said step of applying said ceramic precursor solution.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of applying said ceramic coating film is performed by any one of the following: spraying, sintering, and electric deposition.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising working said electrical conductor wire into a configuration between said first and second heating.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of applying said ceramic precursor solution is performed by dipping said electrical conductor with said ceramic coating film thereon, into said ceramic precursor solution.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said metal alkoxide is selected from the group consisting of Si, Al, Zr, Ti, and Mg alkoxides.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein said metal acylate is selected from the group consisting of Si, Al, Zr, Ti, and Mg acylates.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said electrical conductor is a copper conductor, said method further comprising coating said copper conductor with a metal having a heat resistance and an oxidation resistance.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said heat and oxidation resistant metal is selected from the group consisting of Ni, Pt, and stainless steel.
 11. The method of claim 11, comprising making said electrical conductor of an anodizable metal.
 12. The method of claim 1, comprising making said electrical conductor of copper and coating said copper conductor with an anodizable metal.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein said initial surface roughness Ra1 is several microns and said finish surface roughness Ra2 is 0.2 μm or less.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein said initial surface roughness Ra1 is 2 to 3 μm, and said finish surface roughness is 0.1 μm. 